Door guard beam for motor vehicles

Abstract

A protective door guard beam for motor vehicles is disclosed, comprised of interfit beam segments, each welded to a respective door lock or hinge flange. The beam segments allow limited telescoping of the beam segments to avoid gross deformation of the door flanges during impact to prevent disengagement of the door lock. An interlock comes into engagement as the beam is deformed sufficiently to approach the inside of the door.

I claim: 
     
       1. In combination with a motor vehicle passenger compartment door, said door including a lock mounting flange and an opposite hinge flange, a door guard beam, said door guard beam extending across the width of said door, and comprising left and right door guard beam segments telescopically interfit together, one of said left and right door guard beam segments attached to one of said lock mounting and hinge flanges and the other of said left and right door guard beam segments attached to the other of said lock mounting and hinge flanges, whereby said left and right door guard beam segments are able to relatively move during deformation to reduce twisting deformation of said door lock and hinge flanges. 
     
     
       2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said door beam further includes interlock means acting between said interfit left and right beam segments to produce a positive interlock after a predetermined extent of telescoping movement between said left and right segments. 
     
     
       3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein one of said beam segments has folded edges forming guides receiving the sides of the other of said segments, and wherein said interlock means comprises an ear formed on either side of the other of said segments extending into a gap formed in said guides on said one segment. 
     
     
       4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein each of said segments are substantially flat elongated pieces, each formed with at least one longitudinal stiffener rib. 
     
     
       5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein the outboard end of each segment is formed with a flange welded to a respective one of said door lock and hinge flange. 
     
     
       6. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said interlock means operative when said door beam is deformed sufficiently to approach the inside panel of said door.